There are many modes of public transportation in Bangkok, Thailand. Taxis, tuk-tuks, buses, skytrains, underground trains, mini vans, and motorcycle taxis - all are available in Bangkok. If you're only here for a few days or a couple of weeks though, how do you know which mode of public transportation is the best, the easiest and the cheapest? Follow these quick tips, and you'll find that travelling around Bangkok on public transportation is easy, cheap and fun.
Taxis in Bangkok - The first mode of public transportation that most tourists go for in Bangkok is the taxi. Taxis are everywhere, so getting one is as easy as just waving one down. Taxi drivers, by law, are supposed to use air conditioning and the meter, so don't accept any arguments if they don't want to put air on or use the meter. The average trip in Bangkok for a taxi is around 45 to 80 baht ($1.28 to $2.28). Most taxi drivers don't speak much English so make sure you either know your address in Thai or have someone write it down for you. The drawback of using a taxi is that Bangkok traffic is very bad so, you could end up sitting in traffic for a long time, (sometimes several hours!), which can definitely increase the taxi fare.
Sky Train (BTS) in Bangkok - Also known as the BTS, the sky train covers a lot of Bangkok, is pretty cheap (fares are 15-40 baht, 42 cents to $1.14), very easy to use, fast, and runs from 6am until midnight. It gets very crowded for rush hour during the week (between 7am and 10am and 4pm and 8pm) but is much less crowded on the weekends. There's no real drawback to the sky train, except that it doesn't reach all of Bangkok. The plus side though is that it does avoid all the terrible Bangkok traffic jams, so that's a fabulous reason for using it.
Underground Train (MRT) in Bangkok - Also known as the MRT, the underground covers a lot of the area that the sky train doesn't cover. Again, fares are cheap (10 baht-45 baht, 28 cents to $1.27 - cheaper if you get a stored fare card), it's even faster than the sky train, it's easy to use and it runs from 6am to midnight. It also links up with the sky train at several stations, so you can transfer from one train to another. Plus side again is it avoids all the traffic jams. Downside, it doesn't reach the entire city although Bangkok City government is working on expanding it in the next two years.
Buses in Bangkok - The most popular form of public transportation in Bangkok is the bus. Buses are everywhere and are very cheap. At less than 10 to 15 (28 cents to 42 cents) baht for an average trip, this is the favorite public transportation system of average Thais. The problem for Westerners is many of the buses in Bangkok do not have their destination in English, so if you don't read Thai, you have no idea where they're going. You also need to know which stop to get on and off at so, unless you are very familiar with the bus system, I would avoid it. However, you can buy a bus map at any Bangkok bookstore, which tells you the bus numbers and which bus goes where. The drawback to buses is they get very crowded, the bus drivers drive quite dangerously sometimes, and the traffic jams are so bad you will spend a lot of time on your journey.
Tuk-tuks in Bangkok - A fun form of public transportation in Bangkok is the tuk-tuk (the little Thai taxi drawn by a motorcycle engine). Tuk-tuks tend to be in the places frequented by tourists and are quite expensive (at least double the price of a normal taxi ride), which is annoying as they have no air-conditioning. You also breath in all the pollution while you're riding in a tuk-tuk. But, they are a fun experience and, if you've never ridden in one, you should take at least one while you're in Bangkok. Drawback again though, is you will get stuck in traffic, although they are slightly faster than taxis as, being smaller, they can squeeze through smaller gaps in the traffic.
Motorcycle Taxis in Bangkok - The second most popular form of public transportation in Bangkok is the motorcycle taxi. These are the guys on motorbikes who sit at the end of almost every street in Bangkok. They are wearing colored vests (often orange or blue), with numbers on the back, and they will take you short distances to the end of a street, to the end of a soi (small lane) or even longer distances if necessary. They all have certain areas they work in and you cannot wave these guys down. You can only catch them at the end of the street you will be travelling on. Fares run from 5-50 baht - 14 cents to $1.42 - depending on distance. The huge advantage with motorcycle taxis is they can weave their way through traffic so they are very fast. The huge disadvantage with motorcycle taxis is they can weave their way through traffic, so they can be quite dangerous.
Mini Vans in Bangkok - Grey mini vans are everywhere in Bangkok and are cheap to travel in. They usually run the same distance as buses but are faster and more comfortable (you cannot stand, only sit in them). Fares are slightly more expensive than buses (maybe an extra 10 to 30 cents per trip) but if you want to get somewhere a little faster, they're great to take. Just catch one at any bus stop. Again though, some of them don't have their destinations in English so, if you don't know where they're going, only take one if you have a Thai friend that goes with you.
Compared to the West, all forms of public transportation in Bangkok are cheap. You will find you make your decisions, most of the time, depending on how long you will have to sit in a traffic jam. For avoiding traffic jams, your best bets are the sky train, the underground train and motorcycle taxis. Any other form of public transportation will get stuck in the horrendous Bangkok traffic. But, each type of public transportation has its own pluses and minuses. Just figure out which one works the best for you and you're all set.